Flexing machine



April 30, 1940. H. J. wlLLMoT'r FLEXING MACHINE Filed Sept. 26, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet l April 30, 1940- H. J. w|| MoTTl FLEXING MACHINE Filed-Sept; 26, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 30, 1940.

H. J. wlLLMoTT FLEXING MACHINE Filed Sept. 26, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 3o, 1940. l J. WLLMQTT 2.198.691

FLEXING MACHINE Filed Sept. 26, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 62' i 6a /f .L.. un

April 30, 1940. 4 H. J. w'lLLMoTT FLEXING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 26, 1938 Patented Apr. 30, 1940 PATENT OFFICE N 2,198,691 FLEXING MACHINE Herbert J. Willmott, Beverly,\Mass., assigner to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, `N. J., a corporation of New Jersey l Application september 26, 1988, seria1N0.281,687

13 claims. (o1. 12-41.2)

` This invention relates lto machines for flexing blanks such as s olesand is herein illustrated as embodied in a power-operated machine of the type in which a pair of flexible endless bands are employed to advance the blanks and subject them to nexing treatment while in transit. l

` Although flexing machines of the endless band type are recognized as superior in some respects to other types when they are in first-class conl dition,1 and are preferred by many users because of the facility and speed with which` they ad- Vance and flex the Work-pieces, much trouble has been experienced in former machines of this type in that the bands wear out rapidly and require too frequent replacement` withnew bands.

I have ascertained that the chief cause of such wearing is due to relative creeping of the Work-` pieces and the bands, and the consequenty friction and rubbing, particularly at `points where the bands and the work-pieces pass around segments of the flexing rolls. `I have also ascertained that if the'bands are unequally tensioned,

relative creeping and rubbing are unavoidable, and one or both will be subjected to chang by the Work-pieces.

`To overcome the objectionable conditions mentioned above, one improved feature provided by the present invention consists in means arranged to equalize the tension of both bands of a pair not only when the bands are initiallyset up and adjusted prior to starting `them in operation, but also while they are in operation and subjected to periodical and unequal displacement as successive Work-pieces pass around the flexing rolls.

The invention also provides improved mechal nism for collecting the iiexed soles discharged from the flexing mechanism, and for arranging them in feathered relation and conveying them in that relation to a point Where they may conveniently be picked up in stacked relation for removal. l

i In addition, the organization herein illustrated includes automatic mechanism for feeding soles one by one from the bottom `of a stack to the exing" mechanism. The feeding mechanism, the

flexing mechanism and thecollecting and conveying mechanism are so organized and coordinated with respect to their relative speeds of operation that thesoles are segregated from each other by the relatively highspeed of the flexing mechanism and thereafter aggregated as they are collected on the conveyor, the slow speed of the latter being effective to establishtheir feathered relation. In this relation they may be readily counted to facilitate picking `them `up in caselots or any other desired number without interrupting the operation of any of the mechanisms cr disturbing the order in which they are fed to the exing mechanism.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of an organization embodying the Various features of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same organization from a different angle;

Fig. `3 is a vertical section not all in one plane but according to line III--III of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is essentially a top plan view projected from Fig. 3 except that a portion thereof is in horizontal section as indicated by lineIV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the structure intersected by line V`V of Fig. 3, 4this structure being at the supply end of the organization;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the structure intersected by line VI-VI of Fig. 5, the direction of the View being the opposite of Fig. 3;

` Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of the receiving end of the flexing mechanism as indicated by line VII--VII of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the delivery end of the exing mechanism as indicated by line VIII- VIII of Fig. 3;

. Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of the structure intersected by line IX--IX of` Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the deliveryend of the iiexing mechanism viewed in the same direction as Fig. 3 but turned slightly to facilitate projecting Fig. 11 therefrom;

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the delivery .end of the flexing mechanism, the direction of View being toward the receiving end thereof; Fig. 12 is a vertical section of the structure intersected by line XII- XII of Fig. 4, the direction of View being the same as that of Fig. 11, and

Fig. 13 is a sectional plan View of the structure n intersected by line XIII-XIII of Fig. 10 but turned 90 as though projected from Fig. 11.

Referring to Fig. 3, the `flexing mechanism comprises a pair of flexible endless carrier bands l5 and i6 cooperatively related to engage the opposite sides of an article to be flexed, such -as a leather sole il. These bands are arranged to run on two groups of rolls, each group comprising an anchoring roll I8 at the delivery end of the flexing range, a tensioning roll i9 at the receiving end of that range, and one or more intermediate flexing rolls 20 of which two are provided in each group in the illustrative construction. These rolls are arranged to flex each sole twice in one direction and twice in the opposite direction. The axes of the rolls I3 and 20 are Xed but those of the rolls I9 are movable to maintain equal tension of the bands notwithstanding displacement of the bands alternately as the soles pass around the flexing rolls 20.

Referring to Fig. 8, the two anchoring rolls I8 are Xed respectively to shafts 2 I and these shafts are provided with intermeshing spur gears 22 by which they are caused to rotate in opposite directions at equal speeds.

23. Again referring to Fig. 8, the lower shaft 2| is also provided with a pulley 26 for driving a transmission belt 21 and with a pulley 28 for driving a transmission belt 29. The belt 2'| drives a feeding mechanism at the supply end of the organization and the belt 28 drives aconveyor at the delivery end of the organization.

The lower Ashaft 2| is journaled in three rollerbearings 30, the middle bearing being mounted in the main frame 3| of the flexing mechanism, one of the outer bearings being mounted in a bracket 32, and the third bearing being mounted in a removable platev 33 `detachably secured to the frame 3| toprovide for inserting the bands I5 and I through an opening 34 (Fig. 8) in the frame. The removable plate 33 is secured to the frame 3|y by nuts 35 screwed on the ends of tierods 36 of which four are provided. The plate 33 also carries a roller-bearing 38 for the upper shaft 2| and a similar roller-bearing 35 for each of the four iiexing rolls 23, the complemental bearing for these rolls being mounted in the opposite wall of the frame 3|.

The tensioning rolls I 8 are mounted in improved means (Fig. 7) by which the tension of the bands I5 and I6 is equalized under all conditions. For this purpose, the shafts 4U of these rolls are journaled in a tension-equalizer comprising two similar rockers 4I and two vtie-rods 42 by which the rockers are rigidly connected in spaced-apart relation. The rockers 4I are mounted on coaxial trunnions 43, the axis of which is midway between the axes to the rolls I9 and parallel thereto. The trunnions 43 are movable laterally toward and from the anchoring rolls I8, and for thisY purpose they are aiixed to a tensioning structure consisting'of an essentially rectangular open frame comprising side members 44 and tie-rods 45. This frame is suspended from the upper portion of the frame 3| to which it is connected by a horizontal pivoting rod 46. The lower tie-rod 45 (Fig. 3) is'connected by a pivot pin 41 with one end'of a screw-rod 48 surrounded by a compression spring 49. The opposite end of the rod 48 has a smooth bearing in a crossbar 50 which, as shown in Fig. 8, is arranged on trunnons 5I. The rod 48 may slide endwise in the bar 50 and is normally stressed in the direction to tension the bands I5 and I6 by the compression spring 49, one end of which is seated against the bar 50 and the opposite end against a nut 52 on the rod. By turning this nut to compress the spring, the initial tension of the bands I5 and I6 may be regulated. Since the above-described tension equalizer is free to rock on the trunnions 43 (Fig. 7), each band reacts against the other with equal tensioning force as iirst one band and then the other is displaced by a sole being carried around successive iiexing rolls 20 Y 'since thebands I5 and I6 derive their moving force exclusvelyifrom the anchoring rolls I8 at Rotation derived from" an electric motor 25 (Fig. 2) is transmitted to. the lower shaft 2| by a belt 24 and a driven pulley the delivery end of the flexing range, the operative runs of the bands are pulled rather than pushed through the flexing range and are thus maintained as firmly as possible in contact with the interposed soles and the flexing rolls. Consequently, adequate traction is assured and relative creeping of the bands and the soles is elim-4 inated.

As pictured in Fig. 3, the supply end of the organization is at the left of the flexing'bands I5 Vand I6. The main frame of the machine may be provided with a supply table 55 on which the operator may stack the unfiexed soles in case lots or in any desirednumbers. From this ytable he may transfer a stack of soles to an. automatic feeding mechanismrby which they are fed endwise, one by one,` fro-m the bottom of the stack `to the flexing bands I5 and I6 at a point between the tensioning rolls I9.y The feeding mechanism forms the bottom of a stall or magazine comprising two vertical confronting cheeksv or walls .56, a transverse wall or gate 51 and a exible endless carrier band 58 that supports the stack of soles. This carrier band 58 is arranged to run on rolls 59, 68 and 8| of which the roll 59 is driven. Roll 6I is adjustable to maintain the desired tension of the band and roll 66 serves merely to prevent the band from sagging between the two other rolls. Therolls 60 and 6I are journaled inan adjustable bolster` 62 affixed to two parallel supporting rods 63; vThese rods are arranged to slide in bearings in a'bracket member 64 of the main frame and they serve also to support the supply table 55. The tensionof the carrier band 58 may be regulated by turning a screw 65, .the

thread of which engages'the bolster 62 and'one/ end of which abuts a portion o f the bracket 64. y

The shaft ofthe roll 59 (Fig. 5) is journaled in bearings secured to the bracket 64 and pro-jects beyond one of the bearings to` support a pulley 66 and to be driven by the belt 21 described in connection with Fig. 8.y lThe diameter of the driving pulley 26 `and the driven pulley 66 are such as to drive the carrier band V58 at a `speed less than that of the flexing bands I5 and I6. Consequently, although the band58 alone would feed the soles from the bottomV of the stack in the magazine with little or noy appreciable gaps between them, the soles become segregated from each other as the flexing bands I5 and I6 accelerate their speed of travel, thegaps thus de-` veloped being preferably about one inch to in' sure enough clearance'for stacking the discharged soles in feathered relation on a slowespeed con-` veyor 80 (hereinafter described) by which vthey are carried sidewise, that is, at right angles to their general path of travel in the flexing mecha; msm. 1

The transverse wall or gate 57 (Figs. k3, 5 and 6) may beadjusted up and down by a screw 6'I to regulate the depth of the gap between its lower edge and the vcarrier band 58 in accordance with the thickness of the soles to be exed. In prac-` tice, this gap will be slightly greater than the thickness of one sole but less than the aggregate thickness of ltwo soles. For thepurposes of this regulation and control the vertical side edges of the wall 5l are arranged to slide in grooves ina stationary block 68 and thelupper portion of the wall is provided with a iiange' arranged to occupy a groove in the screw 61 to receive adjusting movement from the screw. The confronting side walls 56 `of the sole-magazine are capabley ofjbeing adjusted toward and from eachother in accordance with-the widthof the soles. `For this purpose two pairsof parallel one of the Walls 56. An improved feature of the invention is embodied in the means now about tobe described for connecting and adjusting the walls'56 to insure symmetrical but opposite movements thereof and to facilitate assembling the parts in the desired relation.

The adjusting element `for `this purpose is ja` compound screw comprising a portion having 'a `coarse thread 10, `a portion having a fine thread 1I, a` smooth cylindrical `portion 12, a knob 13, and a collar 14.v For convenience of description, the side walls 56 willibe treated without regard to the fact that each of them comprises a thin sheet metal plate and a reinforcing member to which the guide `rods 69 `are ainxed. As shown in Fig. 5 the smooth stemportion 12 of the compound screw extends through one of `the walls 56 and is free to turn therein, the knob 13 and the collar 14 serving merely to communicate axial movement of the screw to this wall without appreciable lost motion. The `fine `thread 1Ie`ngages `a corresponding thread in theblock 68` to produce thismotion. The coarse thread is pitched inthe same direction as the inethread i1I but the ratio of the pitches is as two toone.

The coarse thread engages acorresponding coarse thread in a tube 15 partially nested in a socket in the block 88 and anchored to the other side wall 56 by a set-screw 16; Before attaching the `knob 13`to the screw, in the process of assembling the parts, the line thread 1I may be inserted through the block 68 from left to` right, after which the j collar 14 and one of the walls 56 may be slipped on the portion 12, and iinally the knob 13 may `be pinned or otherwise affixed to theouter end 4of the portion `12. The tube 15 may thereafter be screwed along the coarse thread 1D from left 'to right and the left hand wall 56 may be slid "from left to right until its distance from the block `68 is equal to that between the right-hand wall and the block. i Then, if necessary, the tube 15 may be screwed in or out to place `its left-hand fend in ush relation to the corresponding wall 56, and its connection with that wall iixedby tightening the set-screw 16. When the parts are u thus assembled, the walls 56 will be equally distantfrom the median vertical plane of the carrier band 58 and rotation ofthe compound screw will adjust them toward or from each other with equal increments of movement. Althoughthe soles I1 become segregated from each other by the high speed of the flexing bands I5 and I6, they nally become aggregated in featheredrelation on the endless flexible conveyor S5 the speed of which is considerably less than that of the band 58. When viewed as in Figi. 4:, the feathered soles depositedon the conyeyor 8B are carried sidewise in a direction from x top to bottom of this gure.

Their direction of travel in the iinal stage is also indicated by an `arrow in Fig. 1.

travel through the flexingmechanism at the rate `of about260 per minute.

Once the soles are free and clear of Vthe exing bands, their leading ends strike an abutment 82 by which they arearrested in register with the conveyor 80 andaninch or two above it. The

` soles may bounce back slightly vfrom'the abutment 82, but since their speed of travel at the time of impact is considerably retarded by the tongue 8|, their recoil from the abutment 82 is only a small fraction `of an inch. Nevertheless, it is desirable to aline` their leading ends as they become stacked on the conveyor 80, to the end that they may be the more readily handled thereafter. Accordingly, as` shown in Fig. 4, the effective surface of the abutment 82 is skewed or back-pitched `with respect to the path of travel ofthe conveyor, and as the soles are carried along by the conveyor the abutment operates with a camming effect to aline them. The abutment is adjustable toward and from the iiexing mechanism, and for this purpose it is aflxed to an adjustable angle-iron 19 mounted on a supporting bar 18 and secured thereto by a wing-nut 11 and a screw, the connection including a slot in the angle-iron.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 1l, the conveyor 80 runs on a driven roll 83 and a tensioning roll 814, The upper run of the conveyor is supported also by a iiat horizontal wall 54 of ahollow frame in which the rolls 83 and 84 are mounted. The

shaft ofthe tensioningroll is journale'd `invblocks 85 adjustable toward and from the driven roll andmaintained at the desired distance from the latter by adjusting screws 86 of vwhich one appears in Fig. l2. The driven roll 83 receives slow-speed rotation from a reducing gearing comprising a worm-wheel 81, a worm 88, a shaft 89, a pulley 90 andthe belt 29 hereinbefore described in connection with Fig. 8. i 1

Thespeed of theconveyor 80 in comparison with the rate at which the soles are discharged from the flexing mechanism is such as to establish a feathered relation of the soles withone side edge of each sole in contact with the supporting surface of the conveyor. This feathered relation and the engagement of each sole with the conveyor are illustrated in Fig. 11. Consequently, the tractive effect of the conveyor is applied to `the feathered soles both individually and collectively and the feathered relation is maintained after the soles pass beyond the delivery end of the conveyor and slide along stationary work-` supporting means designed to facilitate picking up the soles in case lots or other number without disturbing the order in `which they are stacked. The stationary work-supporting means` comprises a frame including side members 9|, crossbars 92 connecting them, and a sloping grid or track made of a series of parallel rods 93 on which the feathered soles may slide with little resistance.

blocks 85 to provide trunnions for supporting the adjacent ends of the side members 9| the receiving ends of the rods 93 being thereby supported The ends of theshaftll of theteni sioning roll 84 are extended beyond the bearing virtually in tangent relation tothe adjacent segment of the conveyor 80. One of the crossbars `at the opposite ends ofthe side pieces 5I extends through theupper section of a telescopio supporting post 55 in `which a set-screw 95 is provided to regulate the downward slope of the rods `93 from the conveyor 80. In practice, it is desirable to slope these rods enough to counteract the `-friction of the` solesV in contact withtheni and thus to avoid too much resistance to the acl-.- vancement of the feathered soles. On the other hand, the degree of'slope of the rods should not' exceed the angle of repose. At the same time, it is desirable to prevent rthe soles at the leading end of the stack fromk falling off the delivery ends of the rods 93, and for this reason the rods are curved upward as indicated at 9'! in Fig. 12. Consequently, if the attendant permits toogreat a number of soles to be accumulated on the rods 93 they will not fall oif'the ends of the rods but will gradually become consolidated into a more compact mass as'` the accumulation increases. The rods 93 `are spaced one from another/about one inch, more or less, to enable the attendant to insert his ngers between them Vwhen picking up a group of soles to be tied in a bundle and taken away.Y 1

'Having thus described my invention, what I Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

Y 1,. A sole-flexing machine comprising a` pair of flexible endless carrier `bands cooperatively related to engagethe opposite faces of a sole lying between them, two groups of rolls on vwhich said bands respectively are arranged, `operating ,means ,for rotating a plurality of said rolls to drive said bands, each of said groups 'including an. anchoringv roll, a tensioningroll and one or more flexing rolls, and tensioning mechanism common to vboth of said tensioning rolls and arranged to cause them to react with equal force, each upon the other, to maintain equal tension of the bands under all conditions. K

v 2. A'sole-lextingmachine as dened in claim l l, in which said tensioning mechanism includes an adjustable tension-regulating device so arranged that said bands partake equally of its regulating eiects. l

3. Avsole-iiexing machine as deiined in claim 1, in which rthe axes of said anchoring rolls and of said flexing rolls are fixed.

y4;. Asole-flexing machine as defined in claim v1,- in -which said tensioning rolls are loacted at one end of thesole-engaging range of the bands, and said anchoring rolls at the opposite end of ,said range. L

5. A sole-flexing machine as dened in claim 1, in which said tensioning rolls are located at thereceiving end of the sole-engaging range of thebands, and said anchoring rolls at the discharging end ofsaid range and driven by said operating means to pull the sole-engaging runs of the bands.

' y, 6. A sole-flexing machine comprising a pair of Yiiexible endless carrier bands cooperatively related to engage the opposite faces of a sole lying between them, two groups of rolls on which said bands are arranged, means for rotating a plurality of said rolls to drive said bands, each of said `groups including an anchoring roll, a ktensioning roll and one or more intermediateilexing rolls, a tension equalizer in which said tensioning rolls are journaled, a movable supporting structure in which said tension equalizer lis mounted, and resilient means arranged to stress said movable 4structure to tension said bands through the agency of said equalizer.

8. A machine for operating onsoles comprisy ingpower-driven mechanism arranged to transerating said conveyor vat a speed such as to establish a feathered relation of the soles discharged thereon by said transferring mechanism with one edge of each sole in contact'with the supporting surface of the conveyor, and an abutment arranged to Yarrest the soles projected over the conveyor by said transferringV mechanism, the soleengaging surface of said abutment being backpitched at a slight angle with respect to the path of the conveyor to aline the leading-ends of the soles with a slight, movement of translation lengthwise of the soles'inconsequence of their widthwisek movement.

9. Ina machine having power-driven mechanism for transferring thin fiat blanks edgewise and individually from a receiving locality toa discharging locality and thereby subjecting them to an operation while in transit, the combination comprising power-driven means arranged tofeed .blanks successively to saidrtransferring `mecha.-

nism, an endless conveyor arranged to carry the blanks from said 'discharging locality, powerdriven means for operatingl said conveyor at a speed such as to establish feathered relation ofthe blanks discharged thereon by said transferring mechanism, and stationary work-supporting means arranged to form an extension of the worksupporting run of said conveyor, said stationary means including a declined portion the slope of which is within the angle of repose to maintain the feathered relation of the blanks, and including beyond that portion an upwardly curvedy portion to consolidate the vaccumulated blanks into a more compact mass.`

10. In an .apparatus for handling a series of blanksof sheet material, `an endless conveyor and supporting rolls one of which is located at the delivery end of ya work-supporting run of the conveyor to form a return bend in the latter, power-driven mechanism arranged to perfo-rm an operation on successive blanks and deposit them successively on said conveyor, means driven in timed relationto said mechanism for operating `said conveyor at aspeed that will arrange the deposited blanks infeathered relation with one Aedge of each blank in contact with the conveyor, stationary work-supporting means arranged to form a track in line with said run of the conveyor to' receive the feathered vblanks from the latter,

pivotal means bywhich the receiving end of said stationary means is` supported with provision forl angular adjustment about the axisof the aforesaid conveyor roll, and adjustable means by which the opposite endl of sa-id stationary means may be supported to regulate the grade of the track to a slopewithin the angle of reposev and within the power of the feathered, blanks on said conveyor to vadvancev a large numberof preceding blanks along said track. l 11. A device' for centralizing work-pieces with respect to means for operating on them, comprisingV two :confronting cheeks adjustable toward and from each other in accordance with a lateral dimension of an interposed work-piece, means for supporting .and guiding said cheeks, a compound screw having a coarse thread and a fine thread of similar direction or lead and of a two-to-one pitch ratio, a fixture having a fine thread engag-` ing that of said screw, means by which axial movement of said screw as produced by said ne threads is communicated in equal degree to one of said cheeks, and connecting means by which the screw action of said coarse thread is communicated simultaneously to the other one of said cheeks.

12. A device as defined in claim 11, in which said connecting means comprises an internally threaded member engaging said coarse thread and slidably engaging said other cheek, and means by which said internally threaded member and said other cheek may be rigidly secured to each other in adjusted relation.

13. In a machine for treating articles of sheet material individually while in transit, a mag-azine arranged to support a stack of the articles lying one on another, the bottom of said magazine being an endless carrier band for feeding the article atthe bottom of the stack edgewise from the stack, stacking mechanism including an endless carrier band arranged to receive and convey the treated articles, intermediate mechanism includng an endless carrier band arranged to transfer the articles from the rst-mentioned carrier band and deposit them upon said band of the stackingmechanism, means arranged to treat the articles in process of being transferred` HERBERT J. WILLMOTT. 

